The Punished Phantom
by Doublethinker
Summary: A retelling of The Phantom Pain. All criticism is welcome! Help make this become a better story!
1. PROLOGUE - The Punished Phantom

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **Dhekelia, Cyprus**

 **Churchill National Hospital**

 **0600 Hours**

Reds and oranges danced around the corners of Venom's eyelids. Echoes of gunfire and screams for help faintly resonated in his tired skull. The once-thought dead soldier groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, quickly shutting them as his senses were assaulted by bright lights. Venom repeatedly blinked until the hazy blur of greens and whites morphed into the sterile hospital room he was now facing. He winced as he craned his neck to the left, watching nurses stroll in and out of the room. One worker walked over to the side of Venom, as she began sliding an IV down his arm. She grabbed a small clipboard and quickly jotted down a few observations, until she noticed Venom uncomfortably shifting around her bed.

The clipboard fell to the floor, as a sharp bang pierced his ears. However, Venom was distracted by the nurse, who's hand was clasped around her mouth. Her skin grew pale, and she scurried out of the room, knocking over a radio on her way out. However, content with the source of the noise gone, Venom shut his eyes and drifted back off into sleep.

More faded blurs greeted Venom when he awoke again, only this time did he see a thin, bearded doctor mumuttering to the nurse he saw earlier in a foreign language. However, all eyes were on him once they noticed him waking up. "Hello? Can you hear me?" The Doctor said in a booming voice. Venom nodded as he tried moving his arm to cover his ears, only to find his muscles did not wish to obey. "Can you understand me? Good! Look up please." He commanded. Venom willingly followed all of his orders, as The Doctor found that at the very least, his basic motor skills and his ability to understand the English language was still intact. "Fantastic. You cannot believe how good it is to have you back in the land of the living. Now, I do have some rather... _uunpleasant_ news to inform you of. You were involved in a helicopter crash in 1975...The year is now 1984. You have been in a coma for 9 years." The Doctor calmly spoke, as he began prepping a syringe.

Suddenly, the memories began flooding into his brain.

 _Paz. Chico. Kaz. Morpho. Camp Omega._ _ **Nine Years.**_

Venom began writhing and thrashing and his bed. "Damn it!" The Doctor cursed as he rushed over to the bed. He began rapidly speaking to the nurse in a tongue he didn't understand, while the nurse began to hold him down. He felt his skin be pierced by the needle, as The Doctor emptied its contents into his blood stream. Venom tossed and turned for a few more seconds only for the colors to once more grow blurry and hazy.

He proceeded then to pass out.

A day later, he awoke once more. The colors had begun growing clearer and more vibrant, as he began to look at the hospitals staff more clearly. However, his revelry was interrupted when The Doctor rapped his knuckles on his bed.

"Good to see your awake. I need to discuss something important with you. In that helicopter crash I briefly discussed with you yesterday, you sustained some very severe injuries. Your face required multiple stitches due to gashes and cuts, your leg was broken, and we found 108 foreign agents within your body. We removed all but 18, which remain around your left lung and heart. One large piece of shrapnel has embedded itself within your cerebral cortex, rendering it unable to remove. Also...You lost your left arm. We had to amputate."

Venom dimly registered the faint beeps monitoring his heartbeat go faster and faster as he slowly looked down to try and see his arm, only to see a bandaged stump. Similar to what occurred the day before, he began to go in shock upon hearing this. "Shit! Calm down! Calm down...Calm down. We still have more to tell you!" The Doctor exasperatedly told Snake. "Now, on to my next point. People from across the world are out to kill you. You were specifically placed in this hospital for this reason, to hide from those people who want to see you dead. Now that you've come to, we have to prepare for you for these people to prevent your death..."

Snake had stopped paying attention to The Doctor as he watched a female figure he had never seen before slip in through the doorway. She calmly walked up to the nurse and began to strangle her. She killed the nurse quickly and efficiently, as she silently began to succumb to the sweet release of death.

Venom once more began to thrash around, prompting The Doctor to grimace and once again pull out the sedatives. However, his attention was caught by the sound of the nurse's corpse hitting the ground. He spun around and walked past the thin curtain separating Snake from the rest of the patients, only to end up with a knife jammed in his neck. The Doctor collapsed to the floor, as he began clawing at his neck, desperately trying to find a way to get the knife out from inside his jugular vein.

The Assassin walked to the edge and turned away from Venom for a few brief moments, as she quietly murmured into a walkie-talkie. However, while her back was turned, a man with bandages covering his face stormed out from behind one of the curtains and tackled her. They both collapsed into a heap on the floor, as the man slashed her with a broken bottle. She howled in anger and knocked him off, causing the man to slide into a large desk tray. "Fuck! Why won't you just DIE!" He cursed, as he began chucking any objects nearby at her head. The Assassin yanked him by the scruff of his neck, and began throttling the man. He grasped for air, as he reached out for a small boxes of matches nearby. However, she kicked it out of his reach, causing it to slide right next to Venom's bed.

Venom tried to grab the matches, but only managed to fall on the floor. The man scratched and bit The Assassin's arms, but that only strengthed her desire to see him dead. Snake finally grasped the matches, and barely got a small flame going. While the man began to pass out, Venom weakly raised the match up go The Assassin's hair, setting it aflame. She howled in flame, beginning to stumble around the room in agony. Not skipping a beat, the man took a few gasps to get oxygen in his system once more, only to grab a bottle of some unknown liquid and toss it at The Assassin. The flames burned brighter, and her screams grew louder. She tossed herself out the window, as her cries of pain grew distant.

"W-Who...Who are you? What h-happened to the woman?" Venom quietly asked the man.

"Uh...Call me Ishmael. As for the woman, I gave her a light and she took the short way down. Now, up and at 'em soldier. We got to get moving."


	2. PROLOGUE - The Man With No Face

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **Dhekelia, Cyprus**

 **Churchill National Hospital**

 **06:32**

"W-What...What in the h-hell is going on?" Venom asked in a weak whisper. Ishmael turned to him, gazing over the tired legend. "Nice arm." He coolly stated, gesturing at his simple, hooked prosthetic. "Anyways, the good news is that you managed to finally wake up from one hell of a long sleep. The bad news is that word got out, and everybody and their mother wants to see your head on a spike. Now, try and get up. We gotta' get movin'." Ishmael commanded. Venom tried to move, but only slumped forward in a sweaty and strained heap. "Nothin'? That's what atrophy will do to ya'." He paused as he began looking through the pile of medications and pharmaceutical items strewn across the floor. "Here we go. If you ever need a pick-me-up, a shot of Digoxin will always do the trick...Hell, why am I even tellin' ya'? You're an expert at this." Ishmael jammed the needle into Venoms arm, causing him to groan in anguish. "Good. Lets move!"

Ishmael slid over to the door, peering around the edge. Venom, while he felt the life returning to his limbs, could only move at a slow crawl. He waded through broken glass and fresh blood to get across the room. Ishmael yanked him up by his arm, and then placed an arm around his shoulder to make sure he could keep his balance. As they began to move out of the room, the echoing boom of an explosion rocked the building, sending the pair to the floor. A woman screamed in a language Venom didn't understand across the long hallway. "Shit! The whole place is coming down. I wanted to move fast, but we gotta go even faster." Ishmael once more helped Snake up, as he speed-walked across the corridor. Venom managed to stop his feet from dragging across the blood-stained carpet and began to move his legs on his own accord.

They entered into a large stairwell, with broken glass covering the floor. "This is going to hurt pal. Move quick." Ishmael directed. They hurriedly dashed down the stairs, as Venom cursed the feeling returning to his legs. They reached the 2nd floor, and heard voices frantically whispering. "Γεια σου! Κουνήσου, πήραμε για να πάρει όσο το δυνατόν περισσότερους ανθρώπους!" A staff member commanded. Snake, while expressing his confusion, Ishmael stoically nodded, as he ushered Venom into the crowded corridor. Nurses and doctors crowded around the end of the hallway, as the duo shoved and push their way through the crowd. "Σκατά! Είναι οι στρατιώτες τρέχουν! Μετακίνηση κίνηση κίνηση!" One person yelled, as they saw a group of soldiers block the entrance to the crowd. Similar screams burst into Snake's eardrums as more soldiers blocked the exit. "HIT THE DECK!" Ishmael yelled as he dragged Venom to the ground. Snake cringed as bullets tore into the crowd, as the terrified screams of the people filled the thick and humid air. The soldiers rushed in, spraying bullets into the corpses around him. Ishmael, praying that the soldiers wouldn't see him, shoved his hand into the warm, open wound of a nearby man and then proceeded to smear blood and flesh all across Venom's body, along with his own torso. "HEY!" One of the soldiers yelled, swinging his SMG towards them.

Suddenly, a floating child wearing a gas mask materialized opposite from the soldiers. "CONTACT! FIRE FIRE FIRE!" One man yelled as they spun around towards the child. He simply vanished, right as the bullets were flung into the concrete ceiling. Flames burst outwards from the door, as loud, thunderous booms echoed from the stairwell. "FORM UP! CP, this is Foxtrot 7, we see the targe-" The soldier was cut short as a flaming bullet casing burst through his skull. The men watched in horror as his corpses collapsed to the ground only to be engulfed in flames, as a horrific beast covered in fire and metal strolled towards them. Magazine after magazine was emptied into the monster, which only absorbed them. "Ahab! C'mon, move!" Ishmael ordered as he yanked an SMG from the corpse of the first soldier to die. He clenched his teeth, as he sprayed the remaining troops with shells, as they screamed in pain in agony. Venom was moving in a mad dash for the other end of the hallway, only to trip over the body of a doctor.

The flaming demon yelled in absolute fury, as thousands of bullets were flung at the pair. While Snake escaped unscathed, Ishmael was flung to the floor by a pair of bullets that slammed into his left arm. Ishmael howled in a mixture of pain and anger, as he shot the sprinklers placed on the ceiling. Water doused all of them, as the beast howled once more, and left the room in a cloud of mist. Venom turned back for Ishmael, having to deftly dodge and weave around the dozens of corpses in the room. "You alright? Did that...thing manage to get you?" He asked, as he grabbed Ishmael by the arm. "Fuck! He did get me, and you just grabbed where I was shot!" Venom let go immediately and grabbed his other arm and dragged him into another room.

A small room with 5 curtains on each wall greeted them as Venom pulled Ishmael into an empty stall. Venom began to tear through a tiny first-aid cabinet, looking for alcohol and bandages, only to stop dead in his tracks.

"CP, this is Yankee 1, we've reached Foxtrot's last known location."

" _Good! You know the drill, eliminate any survivors, and find the target!_ "

Venom yanked Ishmael and clamped a hand over his mouth to prevent a single noise from reaching the soldiers. He ducked under a bed nearby, as the two soldiers checked behind every curtain. Every single time he heard the sliding of the fabric and metal, shots rang out in the room. Venom tensed up and gripped Ishmael tighter as they came to his stall. They swung open the curtains, and moved their flashlights across the room. Venom sighed in relief as they began to move away, until he head the quiet sound of trickling liquid. He felt a liquid creeping up his body and craned his neck over to Ishmael, only to see a torn IV lying underneath him. Snake ripped the SMG out of his hands, and aimed it at the soldiers. "What the hell? Do you see this?" One asked his comrade. A light burst into Snake's eyes, as one of the soldiers audibly cursed. "Contact! You fucking basta-" Venom squeezed the trigger as bullets ripped through the fabric of the bed and tore into the soldiers flesh. They slumped to the ground, as Venom winced at the loud noise the gun made. " _Yankee 1, respond...Yankee 1, respond!_ " The walkie-talkie crackled with static, until the voice came through again.

" _Units, this is CP! We've lost contact with Foxtrot 7 and Yankee 1 near the medical bay. Unidentified gunshots heard. All units available, diverge on that point! OUT!_ "


	3. PROLOGUE - The Flaming Demon

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **Dhekelia, Cyprus**

 **Churchill National Hospital**

 **07:24**

"Did I hear that right?" Ishmael asked wearily, as he clutched his still-open wound. Venom forlornly nodded, as he grabbed Ishmael and helped from under the bed. "Thanks. Now, lets get the hell out of here before those bastards start swarmin' this place. Ishmael slung his arm around Snake's soldier, as they made their way for the stairwell. Venom sighed in relief as he saw that the soldiers hadn't begun to go up the stairs. They rushed down the stairs, only to be knocked down the last few steps as flames exploded from the top floor.

A deafining roar was heard as 2 soldiers fell from the top, their screams silent as they crashed into the dull tile floor. Venom ignored the sickening noise their cracking bones made as he and Ishmael rushed out the door. " Your arm alright? " He asked his masked comrade. "Hurts like hell, but it'll hurt a whole lot more when that demon gets us!" Ishmael shouted as they stumbled out into the open. "GET ON THE GROUND!" One soldier yelled as dozens of the armed combatants shouted in a tumult of voices. Ishmael and Snake dropped to their knees as assault rifles, shotguns, and even tank barrels were aimed at them.

Venom saw the same child he briefly glimpsed earlier floating above the crowd of soldiers, and right as he vanished, one of the hospitals few emergency helicopters was sent flying towards the large group. "CP, this is Bravo 3, we found something that can lead us to Yankee 1 and-HOLY SHIT!" A soldier howled as a blade severed him in half. If the helicopter didn't directly collide with some of the soldiers, the shrapnel finished them. Thousands of shards of Metal were piercing the bodies of any remaining survivors. Venom screamed in agony as glass slammed into his chest and a shard of steel slammed into his prosthetic arm.

"AHAB! Move it!" Ishmael yelled as he grabbed Venom and began sprinting for an ambulance. He winced as he yanked Snake along with his wounded arm, but he ignored the pain as he slid into the passenger side of the ambulance. The Demon slowly walked out of the building, only to see the two driving off. Another howl from the beast split the already chaotic maelstrom at the hospital, as thousands of bullets spiraled towards the van.

Ishmael swerved out of the direction of the bullets, as he deftly maneuvered out of the way of doomed emergency vehicles. "I can't keep this up for ever Ahab! I know ya' got atrophy, but the digoxin should help you with this!" Venom nodded and took the wheel from the bandaged man. The car began spinning and sliding for a few brief seconds, but Snake barely managed to gain control.

They began driving a narrow tunnel, only to see a barricade surrounded by soldiers. Ishmael howled as shotgun shells were emptied into his already wounded arm. Skin was torn and cracked, as blood covered it from his shoulder to his fingertips. Snake lost control as he collided with 3 troops, a

Venom, when he awoke from his unconscious state, was still hanging by his seatbelt. Ishmael had vanished, although he left a trail blood-drenched bandages in his wake. He unbuckled himself, and he began to crawl out through the window. He winced as the glass embedded in his chest were shoved deeper into his flesh. Snake stumbled out, and balanced himself with a nearby tree. He heard the sound of hoofs clipping and clopping on the pavement, although his attention was more focused on the flames slowly reaching up to the site of the accident.

A horse ran up behind Snake, as the rider extended his hand towards the distracted legend. "Hurry! I'm on your side!" Venom spun around, and was bewildered to see his old rival from Russia, Revolver Ocelot. "Ocelot!? What're you-" He was interrupted when The Demon appeared on the flaming apparition of a Pegasus, and began charging at the pair. "HURRY!" Ocelot yelled. Venom grabbed his arm and swung himself up onto the horse.

"Take this! Shoot that sonuva' bitch whenever he gets close." Ocelot commanded, as he handed Snake a sawed-off. He spurred the horse on, and began riding into the woods. Fire began enveloping the dry brush and trees, as walls of flame surrounded them. Venom began unloading round after round of lead into The Demon, but nothing seemed to slow it down. "Damn it! Keep firing!" Ocelot said, as Snake continued to shoot at the beast.

"We're gettin' close! Just five more...!" Ocelot muttered as he eyed the bridge dead ahead of them. Suddenly, the child appeared, and so dead a flaming chunk of rock that broke through the thick, cobblestone bridge. Ocelot and Snake fell into the river, along with horse. Snake coughed and sputtered as he slowly crawled out of the water, while the horse, scared, took off away from them. "Snake! We gotta get movin', we don't know how much time we have."

They managed to get back to the other side of the bridge, as Ocelot began to address Snake. "I know this isnt the best time for me to brief you, but like I said, we don't know how much time we got. Snake, that was Cipher that was attacking the hospital." Snake winced, as he began to speak. " I figured as much. What happened to the bandaged man?" Ocelot looked confused, only to have Snake simply urge him to move on. "Cipher is now looking out for you Boss. We have only one chance for revenge, and with them hunting you down, it's going to be a lot harder. A lots changed since you've been in your coma. You remember Kaz, right? Your right-hand man? He's been captured by the Soviets and is being held in Afghanistan. It's a 10 day trip to get there, so when we do reach Afghanistan, we'll have a very limited amount of time. If he dies, our revenge is lost. So Boss, are you coming?"

"You know damn right I will."


	4. PROLOGUE - The Sly Ocelot

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **The "Heiwa Maru", Red Sea**

 **11:17**

Venom laid back on his uneven and stiff cot, gazing at his reflection in a dirty mirror next to his bed. His simple hook prosthetic had been replaced with a more advanced arm colored red and black. Ocelot said that it had been designed by a genius yet obscure designer operating out of Afghanistan, who specialized in a revolutionary new field known as "bionics." However, besides his fancy prosthetic, Snake was not happy with what he saw. He had grown skinny and frail over the last 9 years, and much of his muscle mass was lost due to atrophy. The Doctor back at the hospital assured him it had been maintained through massages and a few other procedures, but some loss had slipped through the cracks.

Venom was snapped out of his revelry when he heard his door swing open with a loud creak. "You're still awake, good. I was hoping to have a one-on-one conversation with you." Ocelot said, as he casually strolled into the room. "How ya' holdin' up?" He inquired. "Not good." Ocelot nodded, as he turned to the door to shut it. "Now, I'm here to explain our current situation, about where we're going, the state of world affairs, more info about Kaz etcetera, etcetera." Venom motioned with his hand to continue on, hoping he would get to the point.

"Now, ever since you've been in a coma, many things have changed in the world. In Afghanistan, the Soviets have taken over large swaths of the countryside from the native Afghans. The old Afghan government was a communist state, essentially a puppet of our friends back in Moscow, but this didn't sit well with traditionalist citizens." Venom rolled his eyes, only to nearly slide off the bed. "This ride so far has been...stimulating. Anyways, have the Soviets been able to get control over the area?" He shook his head. "Well Snake, you have to understand that the Afghans knew that they couldn't take the Soviets head on, as they have better equipment, better soldiers and more manpower, so they simply resorted to guerilla warfare. Plus, in the resulting chaos, the fundamentalists and extremists have begun to seemingly materialize out of thin air, and with funding and supplies from the west...It hasn't been easy for the Soviets."

Snake nodded, as he rose up from his bed. "Now, how does Miller and our chance for revenge factor into this mess?" He asked. "Well, both East and West have begun to resort to PMC's - Private Military Companies - to achieve their goals. Since the West can't get boots on the ground and don't want to entirely rely on the extremists, they've begun to hire merc's, and in the East, the war has been dragging on for years and with no end in sight, this appears to be their only option. The war, while hell for the Afghans and Soviets, has been an absolute goldmine for PF's. Miller was working with the Mujahedeen resistance to help train recruits, but he was captured by Soviet troops. While the Soviets may have better numbers and more advanced equipment, those wily bastards when properly trained are a force to be reckoned with. To my knowledge, they're trying to see if he has any info on the hiding spots of the rebels."

Venom forlornly shook his head as he gazed out the circular window. "Is that all?" Ocelot raised his hand and snapped his fingers. "One last thing Boss...This is important. We have the whereabouts of some survivors from MSF." Snake's head snapped up, as he got out of his cot completely and stood on the floor. "Ocelot, if this is some kind of joke, I swea-" Ocelot stood up and clasped a hand onto his allies shoulder. "Boss, trust me on this. While Chico and Paz are dead and The Medic's whereabouts are unknown, I found out that Morpho survived the crash."

A rare smile spread across Venom's face, along with a mixture of shock and unbridled joy. "Morpho!? Of all the people...It's great to hear he's back with us." Ocelot chuckled and shook his head. "Glad I could help, Snake. However, some other survivors are in Afghanistan - they were working with Miller until he got captured. Afterwards, they spread out across the countryside, some of them even went mad. It's been a hard nine years for 'em." Venom's good mood was dampened significantly, he was still happy to hear that his old friend Morpho had survived, and had returned to him.

"Now, I just have one question for you Ocelot - What's your stake in this?" Venom asked. "I've got my own issues with Cipher. After I learned of the assault on MSF and the Peace Walker incident, I laid low, fearing Zero would come after me next. Eventually, I wanted to strike back at Cipher. While I felt guilt about your "death", I was also hoping on getting my half of The Legacy back. What I would do with it, I didn't know, but I wanted to strike back at Zero."

"Ocelot began moving towards the door, and turned to Venom right before he left. "Now, I know these past couple of days have been stressful for ya', so I want you to get some shut-eye and rest."

Despite what he said, Venom had simply gone back to staring into the mirror, seeing the reflection of the man from 1975.


	5. CHAPTER ONE - Phantoms In The Mist

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Phantom Pain**

 **Northern Kabul, Afghanistan**

 **07:47**

Dust and sand whipped around Ocelot and Snake, as they slowly moved forward through the thick haze. Their horses shook their heads trying to stay as clean as possible. "This is the place, Wialo Village should be just over that ridge." Ocelot told Snake, as the sandstorm finally began to die down. "Now, I highly recommend you don't go in guns blazing on this operation. While it may seem easier than sneaking into the base, Miller might die in the chaos, and we'll show our hand to early. This, in my opinion, a sneaking mission." Venom nodded, as he began to take off his makeshift mask.

"Miller has probably about three days left in 'em, tops. So, you have to get moving." Venom was checking his equipment, making sure nothing was broken, damaged, or even scratched. Ocelot swung off his horse, and motioned towards the town. "Boss, you're a legend in the eyes of those who live on the battlefield. That's why you have to do this alone. Make the legend come back to life. I'll be providing comms support throughout the mission, so if you have any questions, I'm always here." Venom smirked as he began riding towards Wialo Village.

While riding, he grabbed the small binoculars hooked to his waist and began scouting the area ahead of him. ' _The Soviets set up a guard post outside the town...Well, there's only four guards there anyways._ ' Snake thought to himself as he got off his horse. One guard was asleep next to a pile of sandbags under a small canopy, while the others slowly patrolled their regular routes.

As Venom got closer, he saw one of the guards begin to yell and accost his sleeping comrade. However, Snake was confused by the guards, and didn't understand what they were saying. "Ocelot, I can't understand what these guys are saying! I need you to translate." Venom whispered. His comms emitted a low hum, before coming to life with a loud burst of static. "Hmmm...That shrapnel might've impacted the language center of your brain. Anyways, I'll translate for ya'."

Snake crawled behind one lone guard in the back of the base, watching the sleeping soldier get disciplined. "Христос , когда будет Владимир -либо узнать ?" He muttered under his breath. Snake swung up and wrapped his arm around his neck, while pressing a knife against his chest with the same hand. With his prosthetic he pulled out his comms and pushed it against the soldiers ear. "Говорить!" Ocelot yelled through the comms system. "Хорошо, хорошо , я поговорю ! Я могу вам сказать, были чувствительные файлы в Wialo !" The guard sputtered. "Alright, we know where the intel is in Wialo. I'm marking your iDroid with the info." Ocelot told Snake.

Venom choked him until he fell unconscious, which caused Snake to stash his body in a trash can. Venom snuck away from the outpost, and began to enter the village. The muffled noise of some pop song emanated from the ruins of a small house while guards walked around the base of the building. ' _Seems important...This must be the building._ ' He thought, as he moved towards the building.

Snake pulled out an empty magazine and chucked it to the side, causing two of the guards to go over to investigate. Seizing the opportunity, Venom swung himself into the building via an open window, and began slowly creeping up the stairs. A pile of messy documents lay jumbled together on a small table in the corner of the room. With the simple press of a few buttons, the iDroid managed to scan it all.

"Fantastic! Miller's being held in a town called 'Da Ghwandai Khar' to the northwest of here. I suggest you move fast, we want to get Miller out as soon as possible." Ocelot informed Snake over comms. "Miller, we're bringing you home." Venom said to himself as he began to ride of into the distance.

 **08:23**

Venom dropped himself off his horse as he neared Da Ghwandai Khar. "Alright Boss, this is it. Miller is being held in the westernmost building in Town, which should be close to you. Now, don't go thinking this is going to be just a walk the park. I've gathered some of my own intel, and Ghwandai Khar is essentially a transferring post for POW's, where they decide to send 'em to the Soviet Barracks or the Relay Post up north. Because of this, expect more and better trained guards rather than a small group of slackers like you saw in Wialo." Ocelot said. Snake began scoping out the area, and marked a few guards eating breakfast around a small fire.

"Ocelot, for future usage in the field, I want you collecting info on every POW that passes through here." Venom commanded. "You got it Boss." Snake began skirting around the edges of the town, trying to avoid as many guards as possible. A few magazines where chucked inwards to distract any that were patrolling the area, but most were eating breakfast, which gave Snake much more leeway. "Maybe you were wrong Ocelot, as this has been simple so far." Ocelot grumbled, as Venom began to enter Miller's building. "Don't get cocky Snake."

Men in orange jumpsuits lie chained or tied to chairs or pipes, often sitting in puddles of their own sweat and excrement. Black bags were draped over their heads as they lay against the wall, tossing and turning. A pile of the rotting corpses of any women that passed through Da Ghwandai Khar lie in the back. Venom gagged after smelling the revolting stench that permeated throughout the whole building.

Snake unmasked one man chained to a water pipe, and let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was Miller. He was drenched in sweat and his face was covered in scars and old sounds. His left arm and leg were missing, along with his ring finger on his right hand. "Have...H-Have you bastards c-come to do me in?" He asked quietly. "No, Miller, its Snake! I've come to get you back."

"...Snake?" Miller asked with disbelief in his voice. Venom held his face and carefully placed his recognizablr shades on him. "W-What took took you so long?" Snake unchained Miller and hoisted him around his shoulders. "A coma will do that too you, Kaz." He muttered. He swung open the door and clenched as he passed the pile of dead bodies, but he began to go in a full sprint as he moved towards the designated LZ.

Strangely, the area became covered in mist, as the helicopter hovered over the ground. "This is Morpho, I can't land at the LZ! Going to the nearest LZ outside if the mist." Venom looked confused as an expression of horror took a hold of Miller's face.

5 shambling ssilhouettes stumbled out of the haze, as Miller physically tensed up. Flies swarmed around their bodies as their eyes flashed neon green. Suddenly, they all froze and went into a full sprint, only to suddenly stop dead in their tracks."My god Snake...It's the Skulls! They killed an entire unit of mine without taking a single...C-Casualty." Miller said. The "Skills" spread out across a nearby bridge, blocking off all exits. "Ocelot, is their some way we can get past those...Things?" Venom cursed as he saw the mysterious group stumbling closer. "No way Boss. You'll have to rush through 'em."

"Hold on Miller!" Venom said as he got onto his horse. He pulled his old friend up and spurred the horse on. The "Skulls" all unanimously turned towards Snake, seemingly pulling guns out of thin air. Venom yelled as he tried making the horse run even faster, as they quickly caught up to him without any vehicles. They stopped ahead of him, and began unloading magazine after magazine of bullets, trying to gun him down. However, Snake managed to deftly dodge them, often spinning around and juking the "Skulls."

Venom sighed as the mist began to clear, and the mysterious soldiers vanished. "This is Morpho, have arrived at LZ. Boss, are you and Miller alright?" Miller groaned as he hoisted him up. "Yeah Morpho, now get us the hell outta' here." Venom dropped Miller onto the metal floor as he swung himself up into the chopper. Snake shut the door, as he turned to his old friend and ally.

"Welcome home Miller."


	6. CHAPTER ONE - Welcome to Mother Base

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **Mother Base, The Seychelles**

 **16:13**

"This is Morpho, we've arrived at the LZ." The pilot coolly stated as the chopper hovered above the heli-pad. Venom wrapped his arm around Miller's shoulder and hoisted him up. Men had begun crowding the helicopter, trying to make sure their Boss was in good condition, and to finally lay eyes on the legendary Big Boss. A few men wheeling a hospital bed made a pathway through the small crowd, and after Snake slid the helicopter doors open, laid Miller on the mattress. Before he was dragged away, he tightly gripped Venom's shoulder, and moved close to him. "Boss...We can make it better. This is our new home, and we'll make it a force to be reckoned with. Now I'm back, and you're awake, we're no longer junkyard hounds. We're Diamond Dogs." He whispered.

As Miller left towards a makeshift sickbay, Ocelot began to disperse the crowd. "Alright, alright! You'll all get to meet the Boss personally, but right now I gotta' talk to 'im." He commanded. The men groaned, and went on their separate ways, except for a few who hung around the outskirts of the helipad. Ocelot motioned for Morpho to take off, and with a nod for confirmation, the chopper flew to another pad. "How's you get so many men, with Miller being absent?" Snake asked. "Mostly volunteers and only a few survivors from the MSF assault. I've arranged meetings with all of them for you, since we shouldn't be leaving base for awhile." Venom grunted as he turned to one of the few soldiers remaining. He strolled over to the man, who swung his arm into a salute. "...B-Boss!" The man yelled. "Your name son?" Venom inquired. "Uh, It's, um...White I-Iguana." He slowly stuttered. "Ah, Iguana! One of the finest recruits we've had so far. He was part of a small, covert American taskforce sent into Afghanistan to train the Mujahedeen against the 43rd army operating around the Helmand River. Plus, he's one hell of a crack shot." Venom nodded, as he turned back to Iguana. "Is that right? Great to have you on the team Iguana."

He raised his hand, offering a handshake. Iguana jerkily shook his hand, awkwardly thanking him. Ocelot quietly laughed to himself as he began walking away. "I'll let ya' deal with the men yourself Boss." Venom gave him a confused look, only to be interrupted by more of the soldiers coming out to greet him. He laughed in amusement as a line of men formed in front of him, all waiting to meet the notorious super-spy.

After what felt like hours of greeting men, salutes, shaking hands and learning their stories, Venom tiredly began moving towards where he thought the barracks were. "They've seem to take a likin' to ya' Boss." Ocelot said, as he seemingly materialized out of the shadows. Snake looked around him and saw smiling soldiers, talking about having Miller back and the one-eyed legend. Iguana seemed to be relishing in telling some soldiers about his talk with Snake, happy to be sharing his tale. "Hmm. Seems about right. Good people." Venom simply stated, a small smile forming on his face. As he began to move away, Ocelot tapped his shoulder.

He pointed his thumb behind the pair. "By the way, the barracks are that way Boss."


	7. CHAPTER ONE - Red Sands

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **Wakh Sind Barracks, Afghanistan**

 **06:03**

Snake smoked a cigar in the back of the chopper, only to have his small moment of relaxation be interrupted by a loud voice coming from the comms. "Morpho here. We should be coming iinto land shortly. By the way, Miller told me to give you the tape on the floor." Venom looked down and saw the tape sliding around as the helicopter jerked and flew around. "Way to keep it in good shape." He dryly commented, only to be met by Morpho's nervous laughter.

Venom put out his cigar and put on a cheap pair of foam headphones as the tape began to play. "Alright Boss, for your first real mission back in the field, you've been tasked with eliminating a Spetsnaz Officer operating from the Wakh Sind Barracks. Recently, he's been leading highly successful raids into Mujahedeen outposts in the mountains, and despite our sources and friends residing in the Soviet hierarchy, his operations have become increasingly covert and secretive. We believe he might be holding intel on future Soviet incursions into Afghani territory. The officer in question is named Sergei Vadernov, a Lithuanian soldier who's been working in or with the Spetsnaz his whole career. He's known for his use of highly skilled snipers, so I'm sending you out with a classic Renov model, a bolt-action rifle used since World War Two. I will be providing intel while Ocelot will translate. Good luck Boss."

Snake swung himself out of the chopper, as the tape ended with a satisfying click. He took off the headphones, and chucked them into the helicopter before it took off. "Break a leg Boss!" Morpho told him, as he flew off into the blue. As Venom observed his surroundings, he noticed a familiar white horse sitting nearby him. He walked over and began inspecting his ride, trying to remember how he recognized it. "Wait, you're the horse from Cyprus! A real Diamond Horse, ain't ya'?" He said to himself. Snake hopped into the horse, and whipped out his binoculars, gazing down at the barracks above him.

A long metal wall had been built along the clifface, severely hindering any alternstive method he could've got in. He barely noticed the long, wooden barrels of sniper rifles jutting out from small turrets cut into the wall. A few men walked outside the base, nearby a small group of men smoking around a jeep.

Venom spurred D-Horse on, as he road to the cliff, out of the guards sight. A long crack scarred the rock, as it led to the back of the barracks. He grunted as he wedged his foot into the crack, and began to slowly climb the cliff. He collapsed into a heap once he reached the top. As Snake got up, he noticed a man in a red beret standing in front of a small group of soldiers. "ы будете язва на муджахидов , что они никогда не видели подобных раньше! Они будут учиться бояться название 'Спецназ!' Является ли это понимать ! ? !"

Venom went prone and began to slowly crawl towards the gathering. 'Boss, he's saying that they will be a " plague upon the Mujahedeen.' This isn't good. " Ocelot translated. He scowled, as Vadernov continued to yell at the troops. The crowd began to disperse, as Sergei disappeared into a small building by aa series of crates with flames painted on the side. However, before he dealt with him, he wished to "Fulton" some soldiers first. He snuck up behind a guard taking a smoking break, leaning against a guard tower by Sergei's personal building. Snake pulled out his trusty knife, and proceeded to press it against the soldiers neck. "Спускаться. Скажите, что вы знаете, прежде чем я щель горло сволочь !" Ocelot commanded, as Venom pressed the comms device against the quivering guard.

"Alright Boss, Sergei is holding two Afghani rebels in the building he went into. If we extract them as well, another of source of information will be opened to us." Ocelot informed him. Venom choked the guard till he passed out from the lack of oxygen. With a balloon strapped to his back, he was sent flying up into the sky, waiting to be collected by Diamond Dog personnel. Snake creeped up against the wall, carefully peering into the window above him.

Two men with bags over their heads groaned and called out for help and aid from anybody listening. "کمک ... لطفا برای عشق به خدا ، کمک!" One of the men pleaded. Venom warily looked over his shoulder, before swinging himself through the window. "Shh!" Venom tried to quiet the prisoners as they began profusely thanking him as he proceeded to cut them from their rope ties. However, Sergei burst in the door, gun drawn, and aimed directly at Snake's head.

"СПУСКАТЬСЯ! КТО ТЫ!? ГОСТа ВАШЕ ИМЯ И вы будете жить вы ебать!" Vadernov shouted as he kept his pistol carefully trained at Venom. However, Snake yanked his arm, flipped him over, grabbed the pistol and tossed it aside. Sergei stumbled around, only to grip his dislocated arm and jam it back into the socket. He quickly unsheathed a combat knife strapped to his belt, let out a primal scream and charged Snake.

Venom yelped in pain as a large gash formed across his chest as Sergei slashed his knife across his body. Snake fell back and chucked the knife at his combatant, embedding itself within his gut. "ебать!" Vadernov yelled, as he tore the blade out of his stomach. However, a metal fist was sent flying into his face. Sergei collapsed to the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

Snake braced himself, as began to apply a first aid spray to his gash. He writhed agony as he cleaned the cut, thrashing on the floor. "Shit! Boss, Vadernov is too injured to be 'Fultoned', the shock would kill him. You have to take him by chopper." Miller cursed. He grit his teeth as he hoisted Sergei on his shoulders. Since he couldn't go back down the cliffiside without injuring himself or killing Vadernov, there was only one viable exit: Going through the front door.

He grabbed the prisoners, and after dragging them outside and 'Fultoning' them, he made a mad dash for the front gate. Soldiers left and right yelled and shouted, startled by the sudden appearance of Snake. Right as he whistled for his comrade, D-Horse trotted up beside him. He placed Vadernov's unconscious body on his steed, not before getting on himself. Snake began speeding by the guards, as he began riding out in a hail of bullets. But before he had gotten away, he heard a gasp come in over comms.

"Snake! The enemy snipers!" Ocelot warned him. Venom spun around, to see a red dot pointed directly at Sergei's head. "They won't let him leave alive with the intel he holds!" Miller said. Venom spun D-Horse around, and right as the Sniper took the shot, the bullet flew into Snake's hip. "GAAAAAAAAHHH! FUCK!" He cursed, nearly falling off D-Horse.

As he began to hear the familiar sound of chopper blades, he slumped over and slid off his horse. His hip was torn and smeared in dirt and dust, and the cut on his chest was seemingly to split open. "Boss! Jesus, we gotta get you back to Mother Base!" Morpho anxiously commented. Venom seemed to move at a crawl, dropping Sergei into the chopper, not before crawling in at a snail's pace.

Snake closed his eyes, as the chopper flew away from the red sands.


	8. CHAPTER ONE - Water & Blood

**Metal Gear Solid V - The Punished Phantom**

 **Medical Platform, Mother Base**

 **01:57**

Venom slowly sat down on the cold Metal bench to the left of him, as he stared through the one-way window. Due to the chaos of the "Red Sands" operation, Snake had to be pulled back from the field for a short period of time, while some of the more skilled recruits were sent out in his place. However, it did place him closer to the secretive room beneath the decks of the Medical Platform, where the interrogation of Sergei Vadernov was taking place. Venom stared at Sergei's slumped body, tied to a chair with a black bag wrapped across his head. Sweat drenched his entire body, along with a few specks of blood here and there.

The door across of Vadernov swung open, startling the prisoner. Ocelot strolled into the room, holding a bucket of water, who was then followed by a hobbling Miller. "Has he talked yet?" The amputee rasped. "No, but I gotta' good feeling about today." Ocelot said, waving is finger in the air. He grabbed Sergei's neck, and began throttling him. The prisoner gasped for air as he thrashed around in his chair, falling over on his side. "Now Vadernov, why don't you tell us what you know about your Soviet friends, and you get out? That sounds simple enough, right?" Ocelot drawled.

Sergei whimpered, as he struggled against his binds. Ocelot sent a hard kick flying into his stomach, letting out a sickening noise. Vadernov howled in pain, writhing in agony as he flailed on the floor. He began crying, as two wet spots formed on the black bag on his head. "Oh, grow up." Ocelot muttered condescendingly. Venom was growing uneasy with the situation, and turned to Miller, hoping to see a similar expression. However, a sadistic smirk graced his face, as he looked down at the shaking shell of a man. "Hand me the bucket, Miller." Ocelot commanded. He obliged, limping over and dragging the bucket near Sergei. Ocelot grabbed Vadernov's arm and yanked him upright, causing him to help in pain as his arm was dislocated.

Ocelot smiled as he overturned the bucket, the water drenching Sergei. Snake looked away from the sight, not wishing to see the man shriek as he was waterboarded. "TALK!" Miller yelled as the man gasped for air. Sergei gagged and began to dry heave as Ocelot began shoving some of the bag down his throat. Ocelot ripped off the bag, causing Vadernov to fall over. He vomited onto the floor, sobbing as he began rapidly speaking in Russian. Ocelot laughed and clapped his hands together. "We got it Miller!" He yelled triumphantly, as he began to leave the room.

Miller grinned, as he walked into the small room Venom was sitting itm "We got it Boss. Sergei squealed." Snake forlornly shook his head as he turned to his old friend. "Sometimes, Miller, I wonder if we're doing something good here." Miller clasped a hand around Venom's shoulder, patted him on the back once and turned to leave. "Trust me Boss, we made the right choice."

Snake was left alone with his thoughts as he gazed at the shaking body of Sergei.


End file.
